Westville Ratepayers’ Association to tackle sewerage infrastructure issues

THE Westville Ratepayers’ Association (WRA) is calling on their members to join them in fighting lingering sewerage issues. Residents in the Westville area and some parts of Highway have been engulfed with sewage leaks for months, which has left residents distraught.

Recently, the Glenpark community marched to the Umgeni Wastewater Treatment Works to air their grievances about the issue.

The WRA is in plans to take a step further by taking the matter to court. The association is calling on Westville residents to be part of this movement. Speaking to the Highway Mail, members of the association said that this is one of many projects they are embarking on to ensure service delivery to the community.

Also read: Westville Ratepayers’ Association in pursuit of what belongs to them

“The ongoing raw sewage crisis continues, unabated and worsening, notwithstanding the reports in the media that the City has secured funding to affect the necessary repairs. Our numerous queries and pleas to the City to keep us appraised of anticipated repairs, are simply ignored, whilst residents in Westville endure raw sewage flowing through their yards and nearby streams, exasperating the health issues for communities downstream.”

To take the matter further, the association is inviting the community to support this action by way of statements and affidavits.

“This can be done next week, Thursday and Friday, at our attorneys’ office in the Business Partners Building on 23 Jan Hofmeyer Avenue. The consultation is free to WRA members. We would like to hear from you. The more people we can get who are being affected, the better chance we have of driving this crisis to become the infrastructure repair we need to see,” they said.

Enzo Gallo, an executive member of the association, said they recognise the few improvements, and with more efforts, more could be seen.

Also read: Westville community embarks on a journey to claim non-promulgated property tariffs

“Apart from the public meeting that will be held soon, the WRA will be hosting a fundraising fun day at the Westville Country Club on June 3. There will be a 6-a-side indoor soccer tournament with prizes for the winning teams. We are running a 5km and 1km fun trail run, with seven weigh points for sponsors who will hand out amazing race-style clues on how to find the mayor,” he said.

More details about the fun day will be revealed with time. The organisation encouraged the community, saying, “Momentum has begun – let’s keep up the progress.”

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